Lock



Feb. 23 1926.

R. A. ENDEBRocK LOCK Filed Feb. 1o, 1919 .ZN/@11 for. m lm diffe!!! eps'.

i' Patented Feb. 23,1926.

NETE!) STATES PATENT QlFFlQE.

lROBERT A.. ENDEBROCK, 0F CINCNNATI, OEO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRAILIVIOBILE COM- v PANY, 0F CINCIIVINNATI, OHIO, .A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

LOCK.

Application led February 10, 1919.

- 10 all iii/10m t may concewi: y

Be it known that l, ROBERT A. ENnnnnoC-K,

Va citizen ot the United States, and a resident Y of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and yState of Ohio, have invented certain `new and useful Improvements in Locks, ot

which theV following` is a iull, clear, and eA:- lact description, reference being` had to the .accompanying` drawings, forming part of this spec-n'ication.

The object of my invention is'to provide .a simple, durable and effective lock of the latch variety, which can be readilyand ea. ily operated by a sliding` operating` bar larly `designed for use for the ready and feasywlocking and `unlocking;` of bars and plates in connection with trailers tor automobiles, the construction, as will be readily l understood, isnot intended to be confined in its application to the particular use tor which l have illustrated it in the drawings.

y As my improved lock is automatic in aetion and the latch plate will remain 1n loching or unlocking positlon as set by the op- ,erating bar, l have illustrated its use as Va loclr for the draft hars on trailer vehicles. ln the construction ot trailers adapted to be drawn by automobiles or tractors, it has been customary to provide swiveled wheels tor both the'front and rear, with provision for the draft bar at both front and rear so that the trailer can be backed wit-hout changing the relative positions of the tractor' in front of the trailer, by locking .the draft bar in `liront andwith it the :tront swiveled wheels and releasing the draft bar in the rear so that the-rear wheels can be guided in backing by shitting'tho draft bar from side to side. A lso in these constructions when the trailer 's being drawn in the usual way, it is essential that the rear dra ft bar and with it the rear swiveled wheels shall also beloclred in fixed position.

It becomes necessary, therefore, in such constructions, to frequently lock and unlock the draft bar, and my present invention provides a convenient, accessible, easily manipulated and durable locking device for such constructions.

ln this connection I have illustrated in the drawing only the locking device and have not thought it necessary to illustrate the Serial No. 276,108.

framework of an ordinary construction ot trailer.

In the drawinitr` which embodies the preferred embodiment oi my invention, Figure l is a front perspective view ot' niy loch.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken through the casing of the lock7 with the parts in locked position.

Figure 3 is a similar view, with the lock released.

Figure Ll is a horizontal section olE the lock, taken on the lines 4, fl, of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar section, taken on the lines 5, 5, ol" Figure f2.

The draft bar is indicated at l., and as indicated in the construction illustrated is a substantially rectangular bar in cross ser tion, coupled usually to the framework ol thetra-iler and having connection with thc transverse connecting' bar which connects 'the swiveled wheels on the axle, so that a movement from side to side will properly steer the swiveled wheels. This draw bar, as indicated, extends forwardly and rearwardly from the pivot connection with the frame, and is supported between the lront cross bars 2, 3, which bars are securely riveted or otherwise secured at the ends to the framework, leaving an open space l through which the draw bar passes.

For locking' the draw bar in position so that the locking); device shall be readily and easily accessible and quickly and easily operated, l secure by bolts 5, or in any other suitable way, a casing; G to the Al'ront tace ol:l the cross bar 2, in line with the midway position ol the dralt har.

The casing; is open at its lower side, and in this casing the latch, plate is mounted,

guided .in the casing;n and adapted to rcciprocate vertically 4in the casing'. A pair ot jaws S, S. depend lronl the latch plate 7, arranged to engage when the plate is iu its lowest po sition, the draft bar l, (lli course the shape ot these jaws will depend ou the cross secw tional shape ot the draw har, and l have illustrated as heretofore stated as the pre-- lerred form, a substantial draw bar rectangular in cross section, so that the aws are also rectangular in `shape. ln this conneotion, moreover, it will be understood that a plunger bolt to engage in a socket in the drat't bar could also be employed. The latch plate 7 in its upper tace is provided with sockets 9 for the reception et coiled springs l UU cam 13, projecting into the guide way 11,

and this tongue engages the V-shaped recess 14 in the operating bar 12.

It will be obvious that when the tongue 13 is in engagement with this V-shaped recess 14, that the coiled springs 10 will depress the latch plate 7 and lock the draft bar. A

The operating bar 12 is preferably provided with handles 15 at each end, and by shifting the bar from side toside, the latch plate 7 will be raised against the vtension of the springs 10 and thus release the draft bar. I find it preferable to notch the barA aty each side of the beveled recess with V- shaped notches 16, to hold the bar in position when the draftbar is released, and also as the bar is shifted, the latch will click into the unlocked position, indicating that the bar has been properly shifted to releasev the draft bar.

The lower projecting end of the latch plate is beveled at 21 on each side in order that the locking action may be made au-v tomatic; When the draft bar is released and is at either side of the lock, in order that the draft bar shall lock automatically, thel operator moves the operating bar to lock'- ing position so that the V-shaped lug or cam engagesl the corresponding recess 14, then as the draft bar swings into middle position, from either side the latch plate will be depressed to allow the bar to pass until the opening between the jaws is reached when the latch will snap into locking position.

It will be evident from the foregoing vdescription that a simple and most effective lock has been provided which will lock automatically and which can be released in stantly either by hand or by the kick of t thel foot on one of the handles 15"; that it can be released or lock-ed lfrom either side and without the unscrewing of any nuts or bolts, merely by pushing or pulling on the operating bar.V The posltion of the handles 15 will also indicate instantly whether the draft bar is locked or unlocked'.

For use with trailer vehicles where it is of considerable importance that the various op-erations shall be quickly and easily performed, my construction of lock is eX- tremely serviceable, and it is evident that it is very easily applied, and that it can be utilized in connection with any of the parts which it is desired to lock and unlock at a moments notice and without the liability of detaching or losing any of the locking parts. While the wedge-shaped construction of the inter-engaging latch and operating bar permits'ready and easy shifting from side to side for unlocking when in locked position, as the jaws of the latch grasp thev draft bar on each side, no ordinary jars or strains while in use will cause the lock to release until the operating bar is aptually shifted from side to side;

Having thus described my invention, what ciaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lock for trailer draft bars, incom-V bination with a draft bar a casino' secured i to the frame, a latch plate shiftable vertically in said casing to engage and lock the draft bar, springs to enforce such engagement, and a transversely shiftable operating bar mounted in said latch plate, a depending il-shaped projectionon the latch plate, and a corresponding recess in the-.operating bar to receive said `projection and to permit the springs to hold the draft bar in locked position and whereby the transverse movement of the actuating bar will shift the locking plate to release the draft bar vand an additional V-shaped recess in the operating bar to engage the latch whereby the bar will be held out of operative position. Y

2, ln a lock for trailer draft bars, in combination with a draft'bar, a casing secured to the frame, a sliding locking member in the casing lying normally in the path of the trailer draft bar, said member being adapted and spring-pressed to straddle the' bar automatically, and means for controlling the position of the sliding locking member to position releasably locked against movement toward draft bar straddling position, and for elevating the sliding locking member away from straddling position.

ROBERT A. ENDEBROCK. 

